Atlanta, Ga., Oct 30, 2007 / 08:34 am
Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
This weekend he told his staff that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, said Pat Chivers, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He is scheduled for surgery November 5.
"He rises early, he exercises, and he eats healthy," Chivers said. "He is feeling very peaceful about [the cancer] and very confident it has been found early".
The five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is 100 percent if caught early enough. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of death by cancer in men in the United States.
Archbishop Gregory, the former president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been the Archbishop of Atlanta for three years. The Archdiocese of Atlanta contains about 650,000 Catholics.